BITCH,BITCH,BITCH....

In my personal opinion, I believe that Lupe Fiasco’s “Bitch Bad” is an attempt to be critically conscious in hip-hop. Lupe Fiasco illustrates the term “bitch” in the hip-hop industry, the different perspectives and the influence it has on impressionable adolescents.  It is taking a step forward away from the current industry music theme of perpetuating the stereotypes of gangster life, showing off money, and degrading women as a sex object. Lupe introduces in two different definition of how the word bitch is perceived. The first act, an example and definition of “bitch bad” was given a young boy whom is with his mother; they are riding in the car listen to the radio. The young boy whom is at an impressionable age watches is mother sing along with the lyric “I’m a bad bitch, I’m a bad bitch, I’m above average…” The young boy have now associated the word “bitch/bad bitch” with his mother whom he respect and care taker. Unintentionally, the mother whom was singing along with the radio had given/taught her son a positive association with the word “bitch” and the female gender.  In the second act, shows how the influences of hip-hop music video have on impressionable young girls between roughly the age of 9 through 12 and how they perceived the term bitch. The music video that these young girls are watching is a rap video with the artist explicitly using the term bitch, while the female model/dancer in the video is accepting the term used for her and acting “sexy”.

The image of “bad bitch” and how it is perceived in Lupe Fiasco’s music video shows the cross-gender role examination of toxic influences on the younger generation. I believe, that he is not entirely blaming women for victimizing themselves in the hip-hop industry; the industry, artists, and men play huge role in characterizing women in an improper or degrading way. Lupe lightly shows how the industry and artists degrade women with the term “bitch” and how it is being accepted; with the songs being played on the radio using the term “bad bitch” and the rap artist constantly saying, “He wants a bad bitch”.  The rapper using the term “bitch” may have an influence, but so does the woman in the video. To my observation, it is clearly recognized that the hip-hop industry and male artists has heavily use different terminologies and acted imagery/skits portraying women as sex objects or some form of degrading manner, but no criticisms have really been made about women influence.

Lupe fiasco shines light that although women are not entirely at fault, they must also take responsibility as well as the industry and artists.  His song “Bitch Bad” is an example of hip-hop attempt to be more critically conscious by showing how not only the industry and artists are responsible for being more conscious of their influence but women too. 

-491W

hippy-hoppy

I believe that hip-hop music purpose initially is to tell a story, send a message, and strike an emotion to occur within the individual whomever is listening. Hip-hop music may be for entertainment but it is also more than a genre that entertains an audience. In my opinion, there are arrays of dynamics to the hip-hop genre that makes it more than a category of entertainment. Hip-hop has an agenda; the agenda of most artists within the hip-hop industry are communicating a message. The messages that are being brought the attention of the listeners may vary from political, racial, sexual issues and so forth. As time has changed so has hip-hop, it has now slowly becoming an amplification of stereotypes associated within the genre.  Hip-hop exemplifies issues of race, class, gender, sexuality and social engagement. First, within the hip-hop industry race plays a major role it is viewed and associated with mainly people of color, and more predominately with African Americans. Also, the majority of hip-hop artists are generally African American males. If an artist who is within the hip-hop industry is a non- African American individual, that person talent may be under valued or would have to face criticism, also may have to face the challenge of proving their talent/skill to the general audience and other artists. For example, Eminem a white male rapper whom debuted as a rap artist in 1999, mainly had audience who were Caucasians; his talent as an artist was at questioned when he initially started out. Eventually, after volumes of work he and display of his roots from Detroit was he more accepted and respected as a hip-hop artist. From my outlook, consumers of hip-hop was at first racially homogenous but has transition to be more racially diverse audience. Hip-hop in a sense is problematic because it perpetuates negative connotation and stereotypes associated within the industry. The problem with current hip-hop music and it is not stating that all music created in the industry of hip-hop does this, but it is the main aspect of hip-hop that sells and is marketed; hip-hop has now been shown as a way to purely communicate violence (thug-life and/or gangster life), sex, and entertainment. I believe, that the genre is so popular although it may be problematic is because it is heavily marketed as “cool” and masculine towards society. Aside from being heavily marketed to the population, hip-hop sells sex appeals and catchy idea/phrases in regards of sex. Unfortunately, these negative stereotypes are reinforced by the industry and have been accepted as the norm of the hip-hop culture.

-430W